


When it all Falls Away

by lovesgym



Series: Buddie Sick Fics [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Christopher Diaz is a Sweetheart, Getting Together, Hurt Eddie Diaz, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26247955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovesgym/pseuds/lovesgym
Summary: Eddie keeps it all together most of the time. But who is there for him when he can't? Eddie is sick. Buck and Christopher take care of him.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Buddie Sick Fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044906
Comments: 9
Kudos: 287





	When it all Falls Away

Eddie wakes up disoriented. His eyes are so crusty they’re almost glued shut, and his head is pounding so badly he can barely see straight. He looks around blearily and sees the unmistakeable shape of his 8 year old at the foot of his bed. Christopher repeats the word he’s apparently been trumpeting from down there for the last few minutes.

“Dad- Dad- Daa-aad!”

Eddie barely suppresses a groan. He feels…really bad.

“You promised pancakes, Daddy.”

“Buddy, it’s barely 8:00 am. Can you play with your toys and let Daddy sleep a bit longer?”

It’s Saturday, and Eddie has the day off (thank God), but that also means he’s got Christopher to entertain. Christopher pouts, “But I’m hungry nowwww”. Grasping at straws, Eddie asks, “Did you do your stretches and physio?”

“Yes, Daddy!” his eager little voice confirms. Groaning internally, Eddie resigns himself to getting up to feed Chris. He swings his legs over the side of the bed and sits up. He immediately regrets that- the room spins uncomfortably and his stomach roils. Unmistakeably, he feels his mouth filling with saliva and he realizes he has about 10 seconds to make it to the washroom.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Eddie says as he grasps Christopher rather more roughly than he would have liked to move him out of the way before dashing to the bathroom. He makes it to his knees in front of the toilet just as he starts heaving. Pain travels from his temples down his back as his throat burns and his eyes water. He tries to control the shaking, but he knows his body is trembling visibly. He turns back to the doorway, hoping to reassure Chris.

Christopher’s eyes are wide and he’s got Eddie’s phone in his hand. “Are you okay, Daddy?” Eddie tries to answer, but he ends up vomiting again. Gosh, that’s miserable.

“Hi Bucky! Can you come over for breakfast?” Eddie can’t hear what Buck says but he pukes a little harder at the mention of breakfast. He to shake his head at Chris but that’s a no go, and he turns back to hug the toilet again.

“Daddy’s sick.” Chris wrinkles his nose. “It’s really gross, Bucky.” Eddie’s cheeks burn, embarrassment and amusement battling for dominance. He calls out, “No, Buck, don’t come over- you’ll just get sick!” He ends up coughing into his sleeve, which he thinks is a good enough punctuation for that thought. But Chris is speaking for both of them, again.

“Yes, please come over. I don’t think I’m big enough to carry Dad to the couch.” Eddie glares up at that and catches his precocious 8 year old’s gleaming eye. Lord help him. Even his 8 year old makes fun of him.

Eddie stomach has calmed slightly, so he stands up on shaky legs. He pads over to the sink and brushes his teeth, before sluggishly making his way to the couch. He sinks down into the cushions and eyes the kitchen somewhat guiltily.

“Chris, do we have any more cereal?”

“We don’t have any more healthy cereal, Dad. Only Captain Crunch!” Eddie raises an eyebrow at that, because he is almost positive he picked up some more granola at the supermarket on Wednesday. But he doesn’t have the energy to spoil this poorly disguised plot of Chris’.

“Okay, Mijo. Can you make yourself a bowl please? Daddy can’t manage pancakes today.”

“Okay, Dad.” Chris turns to Eddie, his eyes big and face considerate as he piles cereal higher in his bowl than is wise. Eddie winces as Chris sloshes milk and half the top layer of cereal onto the kitchen table. He looks over to Eddie, asking innocenly, “Do you want some too, Dad?”

Eddie squeezes his eyes tightly shut and counts to ten, pursing his lips tight against the rising nausea that threatens to send him back to the bathroom. A cold sweat breaks out on his forehead.

“No thanks, sweetheart. You enjoy it by yourself today.” Christopher is happily munching on his cereal, and Eddie turns on the Saturday morning cartoons to keep him entertained. He closes his eyes, and is mercifully asleep in moments.

He doesn’t wake until he hears the door open and Buck is striding confidently into Eddie’s house like it’s his own.

“Superman!” is Buck’s delighted cry as he meets Chris halfway and swings him up into his arms, swinging him around in a circle before putting him back down.

“Bucky!” Chris squeals back, and ordinarily Eddie would be happy to hear his two favourite people, but their enthusiasm is too much for Eddie’s headache, which has returned with a dull roar. He lets out a groan, and Buck makes sympathetic eye contact before setting Chris down.

Buck’s brought groceries and other supplies, which he sets down on the counter.

“Hey Eds. You’re not looking so hot.”

“Speak for yourself,” is the lame comeback Eddie barely musters. Buck huffs a little laugh, but rests the back of his hand on Eddie’s forehead. Eddie knows Buck’s only doing it to check for fever, but he can’t help but lean into the affectionate touch. Buck smiles softly and moves his hand to cup the side of Eddie’s face. Time is moving slowly for Eddie, but Buck flinches away after a few seconds, looking a little embarrassed at having forgotten himself.

He fumbles with a thermometer, and sticks it in Eddie’s mouth. Eddie obediently keeps it under his tongue, and frowns when Buck pulls it back to read it.

“Oh geez, Eddie, 102.5- you’re really sick, man.”

Buck slips away and returns with a cold, wet cloth which he places on Eddie’s forehead. He helps him take some Tylenol and encourages him to drink water. Eddie’s feeling chilled, so Buck pulls a knit blanket over his shoulders, and helps him lie down on the couch. He places a steaming mug of tea on the table beside Eddie and helps him to drink a few sips. Then, Buck busies himself making a second (much more nutritious) breakfast for Chris. Eddie drifts off to sleep to the sound of Buck cracking eggs and Chris’ chatter.

About an hour later, Eddie’s eyes pop open. He feels wrong again, an impending sense of doom he can’t quite understand taking over his body. He makes out Christopher and Buck on the floor on the other side of the living room. Christopher has stuck what looks like his whole lego set together into a monstrous tower that Eddie absently notes is going to be a bitch to step on once the pieces inevitably scatter themselves into traps waiting for his bare feet.

A little more awake, Eddie takes stock. His stomach is really bothering him again, and the nausea is rising. He groans, and wishes it didn’t come out sounding more like a whimper. Buck looks over at him questioningly. He lurches upward as he begins to feel the back of his throat rising and his mouth filling again. He strids urgently toward the bathroom again. Leaning over the toilet, he breathes harshly. He’s so dizzy he almost loses his balance and ends up leaning against the wall beside the toilet.

“Eddie?” Buck knocks, but doesn’t really wait for an answer. He comes in anyway, concern lighting his face. Eddie tries for reassuring, but a soreness radiates its way up his body and he shudders with it.

“Feel sick.” Eddie tips his head back at the wall. His eyes are burning.

“Yeah, I know you do, bud.” Buck moves closer- “Do you think you’re ready to come back and lie down again?”

Eddie thinks about it. Oh- and no- there it is, he’s so nauseous again all of a sudden. He gulps and leans back down over the toilet. Saliva pours out of his mouth and he hangs there miserably for a few seconds, until finally the wretching starts.

He’s making horrible noises as he gags and gags. Bile and stomach acid burn their way out of him, and he vomits the water and tea he’d drunk earlier, but there’s not much left to come up. Finally, the gagging calms. Dimly, he feels Buck rubbing his back. It’s soothing, and caring in a way no one has been with him since the early days with Shannon. His whole body is shaking with the effort of remaining upright, but he’s not done. A third round of gagging tears out of him and rips a sob from his throat. Involuntary tears are making their way messily down his face. He’s sweaty and gross and he can’t stop gagging.

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re okay.” Buck is murmuring the kind of comforting nonsense he reserves for Christopher after a nightmare. But in his weakened state, Eddie eats it up. Buck is kneeling behind him, bracketing his body with his stronger healthier one, arms wrapped loosely around him.

“You think you’re ready to get up?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Buck helps him to his feet and even puts toothpaste on his toothbrush for him. Eddie grins weakly at that, rolling his eyes.

“I’m sick, not five, Buck,” Eddie says drily. Buck blushes and ducks his head. “Just trying to help.”

“I know you are- thank you.”

When they exit the bathroom, they find Christopher sitting right outside, his back against the wall.

“Are you okay, Daddy?” Gone is the mischief that there was this morning when Chris was making fun of how gross Eddie looked. Christopher looks a little scared. Eddie curses himself- that’s probably because he heard the sounds Eddie was making.

“I’m okay, Christopher.” Eddie and Buck shuffle slowly back to the couch, and Eddie drops bonelessly down. He’s really not doing well. His eyes close of their own accord.

He hears Buck on the phone. He’s not sure who he’s talking to, but what seems like only minutes later and is probably longer, Eddie hears Pepa at the door. Eddie is absurdly grateful- he should have thought to call her this morning.

“Tia!” is Christopher’s excited cry. “Hi little man! I’m here to take you to Abuela’s for the afternoon.” Christopher’s enthusiasm dims. “But what about Daddy?”

“Eddie’s pretty sick and he needs some rest this afternoon, buddy”, Buck’s voice interjects.

“But I want to stay with him,” Christopher looks sad and scared. Eddie sits all the way up. “Buddy, I’ll be totally fine, I promise. But it’s best if you go with Tia Pepa. If you stay, you’ll only get sick, and worrying about that would make it harder for me to get better. Besides, Abuela will probably bake your favourite cupcakes this afternoon if you ask her nicely”. Christopher doesn’t look tempted by that, but Eddie can’t blame him since he’s spent the morning listening to his Dad puking his guts up.

“Ok Dad, I’ll go. I want to help you get better.”

“Thank you, Chris- and Pepa.” His sister smiles at him and ruffles his hair. Feel better soon, Eddito.

And then Chris is gone for the day and the house is blessedly peaceful. Only Buck remains. Eddie drops his head to his hands. Time passes again in a fever dream, until Buck is beside him again with the thermometer. Eddie takes it again, and soon it’s beeping out a reading of 102.7. Buck shakes his head.

“Eddie, you need some real sleep. Let’s get you back to bed.”

“I feel disgusting. I need a shower first.” Buck hovers worriedly near the bathroom as Eddie showers. He only has the energy for a quick one- just the bare minimum, but he feels more human afterwards. Buck helps him back to his room. His body aches and he can’t help but curl up as soon as his body hits the mattress. Then, standing awkwardly at the door, Buck seems to make some sort of decision. He strides purposefully toward Eddie on the bed, and pulls the comforter up and over Eddie’s shoulders. Buck tucks him in. The intimacy of that gesture stops Eddie’s thoughts entirely, and his eyes well with tears he can’t explain. His defenses are low. He turns his face into the pillow, but can’t entirely muffle the sniff.

“Hey,” Buck’s tone is so soft. “Eddie, what’s that?”

Crap, and now Buck’s noticed Eddie crying. How utterly humiliating.

“Sorry.” Eddie gets himself back under control. “No one’s done anything like this for me since I was a kid.” Eddie means it. He has to maintain such a tight control over all aspects of his life. Sticking to Chris’ routine is so important, and with work and managing Chris’ schedule, Eddie is “on” 100% of the time. Even feeling as terrible as he did today, he would have pushed through it. He and Chris would have had a quiet day, but he would have managed it himself. But this time, he didn’t have to. He didn’t even have to ask Buck to help (although Chris had done that for him).

“I- I wanted to, Eddie.” Buck is looking down at him so intently, as though he’s working out what to say. Eddie’s brain is fuzzy though, and he’s still too dizzy for thinking hard. He just waits for Buck to figure whatever it is out.

Buck ends up sitting on the side of the bed. He reaches forward again, and this time, he strokes Eddie’s hair. He does it once, twice, and then he’s petting Eddie’s head. It’s rhythmic and so, so soothing. The gentle pressure on his temples dissipates the pain in his head. Eddie’s eyes well again, and he doesn’t try to stop the tears that silently make their way down his cheeks. This time, Buck rubs them away.

Buck climbs in beside Eddie, carefully, slowly, as if waiting for Eddie to tell him no. Eddie doesn’t do that. Dimly, he has the thought that this is not a platonic gesture- that two friends- no matter how much they care for each other- they don’t do this.

But that particular crisis will have to wait. Soothed into peace by Buck’s steady presence beside him, Eddie slips away into deep sleep. Buck keeps watch.


End file.
